वसिष्ठ उवाच शतं वर्षसहस्राणां तपस्तप्तं सुदुष्करम्। गोभिः पूर्वं विसृष्टाभिर्गच्छेम श्रेष्ठतामिति॥
Vasishtha said The kine which had been created in former age practised the hardest penances for a hundred thousand years with the objects of acquiring a position of great preeminence.
लोकेऽस्मिन् दक्षिणानां च सर्वासां वयमुत्तमाः। भवेम न च लिप्येम दोषेणेति परंतप॥
Indeed, O scorcher of enemies, they said to themselves. We shall, in this world, become the best of all kinds of presents in sacrifices, and we shall not be liable to be sullied with any fault.
अस्मत्पुरीषस्नानेन जनः पूयेत सर्वदा। शकृता च पवित्रार्थं कुर्वीरन् देवमानुषाः॥ तथा सर्वाणि भूतानि स्थावराणि चराणि च। प्रदातारश्च लोकान् नो गच्छेयुरिति मानद॥
By bathing in water mixed with our dung, people shall become purified. The celestials and men shall use our dung for the purpose of purifying all creatures mobile and immobile. They also who will give us away shall acquire those regions of happiness which will be ours.
ताभ्यो वरं ददौ ब्रह्मा तपसोऽन्ते स्वयं प्रभुः। एवं भवत्विति प्रभुर्लोकांस्तारयतेति च॥
Appearing to them at the termination of their austerities, the powerful Brahman gave them the boons they sought, sayingyour desire will be fulfilled. Do you rescue all the worlds.
उत्तस्थुः सिद्धकामास्ता भूतभव्यस्य मातरः। प्रातर्नमस्यास्ता गावस्ततः पुष्टिमवाप्नुयात्॥
Crowned with fruition of their desires, they all rose upthose mothers of both the Past and the Future. Every morning, people should bow respectfully to kine. As the result of this, they are sure to acquire prosperity.
तपसोऽन्ते महाराज गावो लोकपरायणाः। तस्माद् गावो महाभागाः पवित्रं परमुच्यते॥
At the termination of their penances, O king, kine became the refuge of the world. It is therefore that kine are said to be highly blessed, sacred, and the foremost of all things. It is therefore that kine are said to stay at the very head of all creatures.
तथैव सर्वभूतानां समतिष्ठन्त मूर्धनि। समानवत्सां कपिलां धेनुं दत्त्वा पयस्विनीम्। सुव्रतां वस्त्रसंवीतां ब्रह्मलोके महीयते॥
By giving away a Kapila cow with a calf resembling herself, giving profuse milk, free from every vicious habit, and covered with a piece of cloth, the giver acquires great honours in the region of Brahma.
लोहितां तुल्यवत्सां तु धेनुं दत्त्वा पयस्विनीम्। सुव्रतां वस्त्रसंवीतां सूर्यलोके महीयते॥
By giving away a red cow with a calf that resembes herself, giving milk, free from every vice, and covered with a piece of cloth, one acquires great honours in the region of the Sun.
समानवत्सां शबलां धेनुं दत्त्वा पयस्विनीम्। सुव्रतां वस्त्रसंवीतां सोमलोके महीयते॥
By giving away a cow of variegated hue, with a calf similar to herself, giving milk, free from every vice, and covered with a piece of cloth, one acquires great honours in the region of Soma.
समानवत्सां श्वेतां तु धेनुं दत्त्वा पयस्विनीम्। सुव्रता वस्त्रसंवीतामिन्द्रलोके महीयते॥
By giving away a white cow, with a calf similar to herself, giving milk, free from every vice, and covered with a piece of cloth, one acquires great honours in the region of Indra.
समानवत्सां कृष्णां तु धेनुं दत्त्वा पयस्विनीम्। सुव्रतां वस्त्रसंवीतामग्निलोके महीयते॥
By giving away a cow of dark hue, with a calf similar to herself, giving milk, free from every vice, and covered with a piece of cloth, one acquires great honours in the region of FireGod.
समानवत्सां धूम्रां तु धेनुं दत्त्वा पयस्विनीम्। सुव्रतां वस्त्रसंवीतां याम्यलोके महीयते॥
By giving away a smokecolored cow, with a calf similar to herself, giving milk, free from every vice, and covered with a piece of cloth, onc acquires great honours in the region of Yama.
अपां फेनसवर्णां तु सवत्सां कांस्यदोहनाम्। प्रदाय वस्त्रसंवीतां वारुणं लोकमाप्नुते॥
By giving away a frothycoloured cow, with a calf and vessel of white brass for milking her, and covered with a piece of cloth, one acquires the region of Varuna.
वातरेणुसवर्णां तु सवत्सां कांस्यदोहनाम्। प्रदाय वस्त्रसंवीतां वायुलोके महीयते॥
By giving away a dustcoloured cow, with a calf and a vessel of white brass for malking her, and covered with a piece of cloth, one : acquires great honours in the region of the WindGod.
हिरण्यवर्णां पिंगाक्षीं सवत्सां कांस्यदोहनाम्। प्रदाय वस्त्रसंवीतां कौबेरं लोकमश्नुते॥
By giving away a goldhued cow, having eyes of a tawny colour, with a calf and a vessel of white brass for making her, and covered with a piece of cloth, one enjoys the happiness of the region of Kubera.
पलालधूम्रवर्णां तु सवत्सां कांस्यदोहनाम्। प्रदाय वस्त्रसंवीतां पितृलोके महीयते॥
By giving away a cow of the hue of the smoke of straw, with calf and a vessel of white brass for milking her, and covered with a piece of cloth, one acquires great honours in the region of the departed Manes.
सवत्सां पीवरी दत्त्वा दृतिकण्ठामलंकृताम्। वैश्वदेवमसम्बाध स्थानं श्रेष्ठं प्रपद्यते॥
By giving away a fat cow with the flesh of its throat hanging down and accompanied by her calf, one acquires easily the high region of the Vishvedevas.
समानवत्सां गौरी तु धेनुं दत्त्वा पयस्विनीम्। सुव्रतां वस्त्रसंवीतां वसूनां लोकमाप्नुयात्॥
By giving away a Gouri cow, with a calf similar to her, giving milk, free from every vice, and covered with a piece of cloth, one acquire the region of the Vasus,
पाण्डुकम्बलवर्णाभां सवत्सां कांस्यदोहनाम्। प्रदाय वस्त्रसंवीतां साध्यानां लोकमाप्नुते॥
By giving away a cow of the hue of a white blanket, with a calf and a vessel of white brass, and covered with a piece of cloth, one acquires the region of the Saddhyas.
वैराटपृष्टमुक्षाणं सर्वरत्नैरलंकृतम्। प्रददन्मरुतां लोकान् स राजन् प्रतिपद्यते॥
By giving away a bull with a huge hump and adorned with every jewel, the giver, O king, acquires the region of the Maruts.
वयोपपन्नं लीलाङ्गं सर्वरत्नसमन्वितम्। गन्धर्वाप्सरसां लोकान् दत्त्वा प्राप्नोति मानवः॥
By giving away a bluecoloured bull, that is fullgrown in years and adorned with every ornament, the giver acquires the regions of the celestial musicians and nymphs.
दृतिकण्ठमनड्वाहं सर्वरत्नैरलंकृतम्। दत्त्वा प्रजापतेर्लोकान् विशोकः प्रतिपद्यते॥
By giving away a cow with the flesh of her throat hanging down, and adorned with every ornament, the giver, shorn of grief, acquires the region of Prajapati himself.
गोप्रदानरतो याति भित्त्वा जलदसंचयान्। विमानेनार्कचर्णेन दिवि राजन् विराजते।॥
That man, O king, who habitually makes gifts of kine, proceeds passing through the clouds, on a sunny car to the celestial region and shines there in splendour.
तं चारुवेषाः सुश्रोण्यः सहस्रं सुरयोषितः। रमयन्ति नरश्रेष्ठं गोप्रदानरतं नरम्॥
That man who habitually makes gifts of kine is considered as the foremost of his kind. When thus proceeding to celestial region, he is received by a thousand celestiai damsels of beautiful hips and adorned with handsome dresses and ornaments. Those girls serve him there and minister to his delight.
वीणानां वल्लकीनां च नू पुराणां च सिञ्जितैः। हासैश्च हरिणाक्षीणां सुप्तः स प्रतिबोध्यते॥
He sleeps there in peace and is awakened by the musical laughter of those gazelleeyed maidens, the sweet notes of their Vinas, the soft strains of their lutes, and the sweet tinkle of their Nupuras.
स्तावन्ति वर्षाणि महीयते सा स्वर्गच्युतश्चापि ततो नृलोके प्रसूयते वै विपुले गृहे सः॥
The man who makes gifts of kine lives in the celestial region and is honoured there for as many years as there are hairs on the bodies of the kine he gives away. Falling off from the celestial region (upon the termination of his merit), such a man is born as a man and, in fact, in a superior family among men.